Deleila Piasko as Lisa Fittko, Ralph Amoussou as Paul Kandjo, Lucas Englander as Albert Hirschmann, Gillian Jacobs as Mary-Jayne Gold, Cory Michael Smith as Varian Fry and Amit Rahav as Thomas Lovegrove in TransatlanticImage via Netflix
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Dawson Nyffenegger
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TV shows about war and conflict are a dime a dozen in the modern age, especially with all the streaming platforms coming out with their own original series. Some miss the mark, some are immensely successful, and that's pretty par for the course regardless of genre. But for every piece of revolutionary or groundbreaking television, there's some that do good work, but either don't get super popular, or become lost to the sands of time.
This is kind of a tragedy when it happens, and it's only becoming more common with how the public is being constantly bombarded with new TV series on a daily basis. If you're looking for your next watch, and are interested in giving something a first or second chance, look no further, because these are the best war shows that have been sadly forgotten in the years since their release.
10 'Home Fires' (2015–2016)
Image via ITV
Set during World War II, Home Fires is a British series created by ITV that focuses on life in the early days of the conflict. Rather than taking audiences to the front or centering on the concurrent Battle of France, this show instead takes audiences to the British Isles to examine the general political climate at the time. Based on a novel by Julie Summers, Home Fires is largely about the efforts of the Women's Institute to support the war effort from afar.
The second season of Home Fires didn't really hold up to the first season, but that doesn't mean it isn't worth watching. Most war movies and shows like to take audiences to the heat of the action, but this show emphasizes the importance of remembering those who served from behind the lines, who should also be honored. Despite being made just a decade ago, Home Fires is scarcely talked about now, even though it really deserves to be.
9 'Shaka Zulu' (1986)
Image via SABC TV2/TV3
If you look up the word "underrated" in the dictionary, you'll find the definition along with a still from Shaka Zulu. Okay, well, not literally, but that's really how it should be, because this miniseries didn't get nearly the amount of love that it so deeply deserves. The ten-part miniseries is set in the Zulu Kingdom, which is in present-day South Africa, and follows the life of King Shaka (Henry Cele), who turned the kingdom's military into a serious fighting force and stood up against British colonialism in the early 19th Century.
One of the most underrated war-themed TV shows, Shaka Zulu likely never gained much traction due to the mixed reception it received in its home country of South Africa, with both Black and White/Afrikaaner audiences having mixed opinions. Internationally, however, it was a huge success with critics, especially in Germany. Even though it did get good reviews, Shaka Zulu is a bit of historical drama that is still waiting for its deserved moment in the spotlight.
8 'The Long Road Home' (2017)
Image via The History Channel
The Long Road Home is a miniseries set during the Iraq War that ultimately failed to live up to the reputation of the more popular Iraq War series, Generation Kill. Generation Kill came out nearly a decade earlier, but in the digital age of streaming and on-demand viewing, it's still reasonably popular, which is likely why The Long Road Home couldn't quite take off as much as it could've. Consisting of eight episodes, The Long Road Home tells the story of a US Army unit during the Siege of Sadr City in 2004.
To be frank, it's not quite as good as Generation Kill, and received some criticism in that it felt like a piece of propaganda at times, and that it didn't really dive as far into the psychological effects of war as it really could have. That said, it still does a good job of showing things from a tactical and logistical point of view, and in depicting the chaos of an active firefight. If you're into stories about modern conflicts, this is a miniseries that definitely deserves to be checked out.
7 'Turn: Washington's Spies' (2014–2017)
Samuel Roukin as Captain John Graves Simcoe in 'Turn: Washington's Spies' Image via AMC
Turn: Washington's Spies is set during the American Revolutionary War; the birth of the United States of America itself. In the 1770s, those living in the 13 colonies began to feel the oppression of British rule, and orchestrated a violent revolution which would ultimately be successful, creating the United States. One of the most instrumental parts of the American victory was the Culper Ring, America's very first spy ring. This group of people would relay information about the British straight to George Washington himself, hence the title.
Despite being set in a time when the common method of fighting was muskets and bayonets, Turn is actually a super intense war show, and doesn't shy away from the brutality of the conflict. The series starts pretty slow—Season 1 is nothing to write home about. But it picks up after that and becomes very exciting, indeed. Later seasons received rave reviews, with the increased budget and larger scale driving the higher approval. Yet, this show hasn't been remembered very well in recent years and deserves another chance.
6 'The Pillars of the Earth' (2010)
The cast of 'The Pillars of the Earth' pose for a photo with a cathedral backdrop.Image via Starz
The Pillars of the Earth is an eight-part miniseries based on a novel of the same name by Ken Follett. This show is set in the Middle Ages, during a period of societal unrest and civil war known as the Anarchy, which occurred in England in the 12th Century. In the midst of political instability, the series centers on the construction of a cathedral in the fictional town of Kingsbridge, a project that is impeded and affected by the strife occurring around it.
This show comes with a star-studded cast, including appearances from Donald Sutherland, Eddie Redmayne, and Ian McShane, among others. Heck, Ken Follett, the original author himself, even makes a small cameo appearance. While the miniseries was vastly different from the book, even changing up the ending entirely, these changes actually serve it pretty well. It even won an Emmy Award. Unfortunately, it's been all but forgotten just a decade and a half later, which is a shabby treatment that it does not deserve.
5 'Shōgun' (1980)
Toranaga (Toshiro Mifune) staring sternly ahead and slightly to the right with Mariko (Yoko Shimada) behind his right shoulder translating quietly in his ear in the 1980 ShogunImage: Paramount Pictures
In the wake of Hulu and FX's hit miniseries Shōgun, the original series from 1980 has been unfortunately forgotten. True, it's not quite as good or as popular as the 2024 version, but it's still pretty remarkable. Both iterations are based on a novel of the same name by Dan Clavell, which is an alternate history set at the onset of Japan's Edo Period. The Edo Period is more commonly known as "Feudal Japan," and is a period marked by political instability, frequent upheaval and rebellion, civil war, and extreme societal unrest.
The reason it's an alternate history is due to the fact that none of the characters are real, though they are heavily inspired by real historical figures. None of the events happened either, but again, they are inspired by true events. This miniseries is substantially shorter than the 2024 version, bearing five episodes, but for being an epic TV series in the 1980s, it does a pretty good job. It wound up winning three Golden Globes, but was later overshadowed by the release of the 2024 series.
4 'North and South' (1985–1994)
George Hazzard (James Read) and Orry Main (Patrick Swayze) at the military academy on 'North and South.'Image via ABC
North and South is a trilogy of miniseries that were released over nine years. The first two miniseries consist of six episodes, whilst the third only contains five. The central conflict of the series as a whole is the American Civil War, which began in the mid-19th Century after then-president Abraham Lincoln moved to abolish slavery throughout the country. The Southern States did not approve of this and thus seceded from the Union and formed the Confederacy, though they fortunately lost the war, and slavery was subsequently banned.
Each miniseries takes place at a different time, beginning before the conflict and concluding after the conflict. However, the central theme of it is a forbidden friendship that sparks between two soldiers of opposing sides. Based on a novel series of the same name by John Jakes, this miniseries dives deep into exploring the political division in the United States at the time and how the war tore friends and families apart. This series actually ended up winning an Emmy amongst numerous other nominations, but sadly, nobody really talks about it in the 21st Century much.
3 'Gallipoli' (2015)
Image via Nine Network
Most people are probably familiar with the 1980s film Gallipoli starring Mel Gibson at this point. The film is set during World War I and follows the unsuccessful beach landings at the Gallipoli Peninsula, in which Allied forces intended to open up a new front to the war by invading the Ottoman Empire. The 2015 Gallipoli miniseries is more or less about the same thing, focusing on the plight of Australian and New Zealand soldiers under British command as they commence their doomed assault.
The seven-part miniseries mainly focuses on a 17-year-old volunteer for the war, who lies about his age in order to enlist with his brother, with both of them ending up at Gallipoli. Despite good reviews, public interest in this show was pretty low, and the show lost a substantial amount of viewership after the first episode. This ended up shortening its release schedule from seven weeks to five, with two episodes being released at once. This is a real shame, because it truly is a good show with a lot of potential.
2 'Women at War' (2022)
Image via Netflix
Another series set during the First World War, Women at War, is a French and Belgian Netflix series that never really reached international audiences. This show is primarily a drama, focusing on life far away from the Western Front. It examines the lives of four distinct women, each having their own unique job and roles to play in the conflict. Their fates are intertwined, though they don't yet know it, and their apparently normal professions will prove to play a major role in the war effort at home.
The eight-part miniseries was popular in Europe, but ultimately slipped under the radar when it came to North American and English-speaking audiences, which is kind of a travesty. This show gains serious points for exploring the crucial role that women played from behind the front lines during the First World War, which is a story that isn't often told on the big or the small screen. If you're a fan of World War I content, this is your sign to give Women at War a watch.
1 'Transatlantic' (2023)
Image via Netflix
Transatlantic is set during World War II, and tells the story of the Emergency Rescue Committee, an organization dedicated to rescuing civilians in Nazi-occupied Europe from persecution, whether due to their Jewish religion or due to their criticism of the Reich. Operating out of Spain, Portugal, and France, this committee was instrumental in helping many historical figures escape the Nazis and cross the Atlantic to reach safety in the United States.
Based on a novel by Julie Orringer, the seven-part miniseries received critical acclaim, which depicts the heroism of real historical figures during Europe's darkest days. The show doesn't come off as disingenuous at all, remembering to keep things as serious as possible, and to keep the gravity of the situation fresh in the audience's minds. Though most casual viewers didn't like it as much as critics did, audiences still generally liked it, but the show isn't really talked about anymore, for some reason.
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Transatlantic
TV-14
Drama
History
Release Date
2023 - 2023-00-00
Showrunner
Anna Winger, Daniel Hendler
Directors
Stéphanie Chuat, Véronique Reymond, Mia Maariel Meyer
Writers
Anna Winger, Daniel Hendler, Julie Orringer
Cast
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Gillian Jacobs
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Lucas Englander
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Cory Michael Smith
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Ralph Amoussou
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